Though museums and showrooms showcase their curations and arrangements in flattering, thoughtful means, it’s always a bit of a letdown to be held back with ropes and glass. But it’s an inherent need: archives and artifacts are precious. Great design, however, is different.

Though opened nearly four years ago, the VitraHaus remains a pilgrimage-worthy menagerie of design. Located in the German town of Weil-am-Rhein and built by famed builders Herzog & de Meuron, the VitraHaus is series of stacked longhouses filled with an assemblage of classic and contemporary design goods for the home. There’s also an excellent design goods shop, a loft (shown above) and even an Eames Lounge Chair atelier (below). Visitors are encouraged to not just gaze in the standard museum sense, but to touch and interact with everything. Play the piano. Scribble with pencils. Take five on a couch. Once you start it’s hard to stop; you’ll walk away rethinking everything about your home. This makes it an experience best enjoyed in person, but for those who can’t spare the time for a flight to Deutschland, we bring this photo tour from our recent visit.